


Of the Essence (aka The Temp, The Spaceman and The Flyboy)

by DTS



Series: Doctor Who/TOC Files [9]
Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-09
Updated: 2012-05-23
Packaged: 2017-11-01 17:06:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/359235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DTS/pseuds/DTS
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor and Donna arrive on a ship taking refugees from a war zone and are naturally taken for stowaways. An old friend of the Doctor's then asks for their help to rescue members of his team on a hostile planet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This has been sitting on my computer for ages, most of the time unfinished. My teen neice and nephew helped me finish up a plot and came up with names on the way to a spring training game. It's unbeta'd so please point out any problems.

Donna tried her best to pick the lock to the file cabinet but the damn thing wouldn't budge. She just knew there had to be something incriminating in there. Maybe not as incriminating as something found in a safe, but even if she knew where it was, there was no way she'd be able to open it. She heard footsteps coming down the hall in her direction so she hid underneath the spacious, old-fashioned wood desk.

She listened as the door opened and the person entered. She couldn't see anything and the carpet muffled any footsteps so she just guessed where they were by other sounds in the room. She smiled at the thought of doing something so _Spooks_. Eighteen months ago, she never would have done something so daring-or foolhardy as her mum would put it if she knew. No, before that time, before _that_ Christmas, the only news she worried about was what she found in the gossip pages. Now she knew to look at the bigger picture, to question things that seemed too easy.

When she saw the black boots pass close to the desk, she pulled her knees closer to her chest. _Please keep walking. Please keep walking._ No such luck. They stopped and Donna pressed back against the side of the desk. At that moment, alarms blared and she froze. She hadn't planned an escape route in case of alarms.

A hand grabbed her arm and pulled her out from under the desk. "C'mon, we have to go now!" 

Donna looked up into a pair of gorgeous green eyes. The rest of the face wasn't so bad either. _Do not go that way, Donna! This is important!_

"If you're done gawping, move!" He yanked her out the door and ran down the corridor.

"What the hell are you doing?" she hissed. "I was fine where I was!"

"Oh, if you wanted to stay and be arrested--or more likely killed--you should have just said so!"

That tone made her want to give him a piece of her mind, but she knew now was not the time to let rip. He was, after all, saving her. From what, she wasn't exactly sure, but at least he was including her. She heard more shouts and running footsteps heading in their direction. More guards. The man tried to push her behind him for protection in a very heroic manner, but she saw no weapons and wondered how he planned to fight back.

He pulled her closer.

"Hands!" she whispered as loud as she dared. 

"Just hold on."

"What for?" He closed his eyes, which made her even angrier. "What do you think...you're doing?" She looked around and realized they were outside, somewhere close to the Thames. "Wha'? How did you..."

"Trade secret." He mimed buttoning his lips.

"Did your trade secret help you get what you were after?" She tried not to sound snide, but it didn't quite work.

"No, because somebody set off the alarms."

"Excuse me for not being a thief like you."

"I am not a thief!" he defended.

"Well, you are dressed in black," Donna shot back.

"So are you," he retorted.

"Well, black is...slimming," she said weakly. She waited to see if he would insult her regarding her weight.

"Look, not to sound condescending at all, but you'd better get home. The guards'll be out searching soon."

"What about you?"

"Not a problem. I have a way out."

"Another trade secret?" she asked with a smile.

"Yep."

Knowing she wasn't going to get anything else out of Mystery Man, she turned and headed back home. "Wait," she said as she thought of something else. Turning, she saw him simply vanish. "Why doesn't it surprise me? Drop-dead gorgeous bloke and he disappears."

*****************************

"There you go, smooth landing.” The Doctor grinned at her across the console.

“For a change.” Despite her words, she smiled. She still couldn’t believe that she, Donna Noble of Chiswick, was travelling through time and space. “So where are we?”

“Let me check.” He peered at the monitor. “Ooh, 2280, not a bad year. I’ve a few friends here.”

“Of course you do.” She followed him down the ramp and nearly bumped into him when he stopped. “What’s going on?”

The Doctor stood aside. “You’re leading the exploratory party.”

“You mean it?”

“I’ve already checked the atmosphere and gravity so the rest is up to you.”

Donna opened the door slowly and stepped outside. The TARDIS had materialized in a hallway made of metal. _A spaceship! I’m on a bloody spaceship! Wait, don’t jump to conclusions. The Doctor’d laugh out the back of his head if you make a simple mistake like that. You need other proof._ She took a deep breath. The air was different, stale. She smiled. She then rested a hand against one of the walls. It was warm and there was a constant vibration. She looked at the Doctor who was standing in front of the TARDIS. “It’s a spaceship. The air is recycled and I can feel the engine through the walls.”

“Ooh, well done. What direction shall we go in?”

“This is just storage. All the crew should be on the upper levels. So, um, up, I guess.”

“After you.” The Doctor motioned with his arm for her to go first.

They walked along the corridor looking for a way up. “What kind of ship is this?” Donna asked.

“I know you think I must be a walking encyclopaedia, but I can’t say based on just one corridor. It could be a freighter, a passenger ship, military carrier.” He ticked them off on his fingers.

“You couldn’t say.” Her sarcasm was lost on the Doctor.

“Not with any certainty, no.”

They had reached a service ladder and began to climb. “How many levels do we need to go up?”

“As far as we can,” the Doctor said from below. “It’s hard—“

“To say, yes, I get it.” Donna was thankful for her sensible shoes and slacks. She had learned that was the uniform if you travelled in the TARDIS. No matter where you landed, there was always running involved—and sometimes climbing. 

The ladder ended at a hatchway and Donna struggled to get it loose. The Doctor reached up to help her and they were soon in a much wider corridor, one used for regular traffic and not for maintenance.

The Doctor was looking at her, waiting for a decision. She began to reason aloud. “Most ships would have a central room for the crew to relax as well as a lounge for passengers, right?” The Doctor nodded. “So that’s where we go.”

“But which way to the centre?”

“I don’t know. Do I have to think of everything?”

“Ow!” he said as she slapped his arm. “What was that for?”

 _He really is a skinny bit of nothing if a little tap like that hurt._ “For having me on. You probably know exactly where we are.”

“I might do, yeah. This way.” He strode off.

 _So much for me making the decisions,_ thought Donna as she followed him through the corridors.

They stopped when they saw a line of people against the wall, their meagre belongings beside them. Some of them looked at Donna with accusing eyes. One of the men yelled at the Doctor as he walked further up the hall. “Oi, no jumping the queue!”

The Doctor looked at the man. “Oh, hello. What’s it for?”

“What kind of a man gets in a queue without knowing what it’s for?” asked an older woman.

“When I see a queue, I just have to join in. I can’t help myself. You meet so many interesting people.”

“Where I’m from, it’s a major pastime,” added Donna. “Practically a way of life.”

The door at the front of the queue opened and a young woman in black fatigues stepped out. “OK, if your paper is numbered AQT200020 through AQT200035, you can go through,” she said wearily.

Those at the front of the line gathered their belongings and headed through the door. It put Donna in mind of Ellis Island.

“Um, hello,” the Doctor greeted the soldier.

“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to wait until the number on your pass is called,” she said barely looking at him.

“I don’t have one,” the Doctor stated.

That certainly got her attention. “Whoever let you through without a pass will get an earful from me when I find out their name.”

“What’s the big deal, anyway?” asked Donna.

“It cuts down on processing time. Lord knows I don’t need any more paperwork.”

“Processing for what?”

The woman looked at Donna as if she was thick. “The Alliance is granting refugee status to those forced from their homes due to the current upheaval.”

Donna looked to the Doctor.

“War,” he mouthed for her clarification. He faced the soldier. “Excuse me...”

“Lt. Madeleine Chase,” she supplied.

“Excuse me, Lieutenant Chase, but we don’t qualify as we were never on the planet,” he explained.

“Stowaways? In a war zone?”

“No, no, not stowaways,” the Doctor said quickly. “No, we just, um, landed on your ship.”

“You just landed and no one saw you? You just practically admitted to spying!”

“Ah, but for it to be considered spying, there had to have been intent.”

_Great, he’s trying to be clever._

“So you had no intention of landing here, you just did.”

“Yep.” He grinned.

“Spy or not, you’re an unknown quantity and you get a nice, cosy cell in the brig until the ranking officer can speak with you.” She made sure the door slid closed again before “escorting” Donna and the Doctor to the brig. “Get comfy,” she said as she locked the door. “He won’t get a chance to see you until we’re in safe territory.”

After she had gone, Donna looked at the Doctor. “Another cell. I’m beginning to sense a pattern here.”

******************************

According to his fighter’s instrument panels, they were clear of the war zone and a few hours out from Jacsmira. He set his pilots on a rotation so there would always be someone on patrol. They were all relatively new pilots who were a bit in awe flying with him. They had even tried to get him in a talkative mood by plying him with drinks. In the beginning, he obliged by relating his first missions out of the Academy, but all they wanted to hear were his missions to the past.

Since the existence of the TOC and what it did had become declassified, he was able to tell them. That was also the reason he was here in the first place. The upper echelons were not willing to risk losing him on the front lines. It still rankled him as he was primarily a fighter pilot. Well, at least he was flying and not still on Earth as a trophy officer.

When he landed, he contacted Maddie Chase. “How’s the processing going?”

“Not bad, sir. We’re making good progress. There’s just this one couple that has me puzzled.”

“How?”

“They showed up with no forms yet claimed they were never on the planet. They denied being stowaways, having landed by accident, yet we haven’t found any ship and have no record of one even approaching.”

 _It couldn’t be._ “Can you describe him?”

“He was skinny and babbled a lot and she was a redhead. They’re in the brig. I didn’t know what else to do with them.”

“I’ll stop and see them on the way. I’m not that far away. Everything else okay?”

“Yes, sir. I’ll contact you if there’s anything else.”

Alan knew the others of his team would want to know what was happening. [Guys, if you’re not in the middle of anything, join me. The Doctor’s here.] He didn’t get a response, but he didn’t really expect one as they were doing intelligence work. They’d get here when they could.

Alan arrived at the brig and could hear a familiar voice rattling off what seemed like a history lesson. “At least I don’t have to re-introduce myself.” The guard on duty saluted. “Has he been any trouble?”

“None,” the guard responded. “It’s like he was expecting it.”

“It does happen to him a lot.” 

“You know him then, sir?”

“Yes, and he’s not one that needs to be locked away.” He held his hand out for the key.

The guard handed it over but hovered as Alan headed towards the cells. “There’s really no need. He’s not going to shoot me in an escape attempt.”

“I’ll, um, just wait out here, then.” He went back to his chair.

Alan opened the door and saw the Doctor pacing his cell, gesturing wildly with his hands. His companion looked like she was watching a tennis match as she followed his movements.

“Why am I not surprised?” he drawled.

The Doctor stopped and looked his way. “Alan!” he beamed. “I should have known the officer in question was you.” The woman cleared her throat. “Oh, Donna Noble, this is Col. Alan Kelly, a very good friend of mine.”

Alan looked up from the lock and got his first good look at the Doctor’s newest companion. “It’s you.”

Donna Noble seemed just as surprised. “Of course you’re a friend of his. You disappear just as mysteriously.”

“Without what I came for.”

“Don’t blame me that you’re a bad thief.”

“Again, you set off the alarms!”

“Children!” The Doctor stood between them. “I take it you know each other.”

“We met once before, yes.” Alan explained the encounter from his perspective.

“Hold on, Flyboy, that’s not the whole story.” Donna then told her side.

The Doctor listened patiently before saying anything. “To be fair, Donna didn’t know the alarm button was there. And,” he added quickly to Donna, “Alan did get you out of there.”

Alan felt like a chastised schoolboy. “Shall we start over?”

For an answer, she held out her hand. “Delighted to meet you, Colonel.”

“Alan, please,” he said as he took her hand. “Wipe that smug look off your face,” he directed at the Doctor without taking his eyes from Donna.

“I do not have a smug look on my face,” the Doctor denied.

“Oh, that was definitely a smug face. You have to keep an eye on him,” Donna told Alan conspiratorially, “or he’d never admit to anything.”

Alan laughed. “C’mon, let me show you some better accommodations.” They waved at the guard as they walked out. “He wasn’t going to give me the key at first,” Alan explained. “Thought you’d shoot me in an escape attempt.”

“Him?” Donna pointed her finger at the Doctor. “He hates guns and anyone who uses one.”

Alan wondered if she actually listened to what she said.

“There are some exceptions,” the Doctor said.

Alan led them to a spare room in the crew’s quarters. “It’s not the Ritz, but I think you’ll be comfortable,” he said as the door slid open.

Donna looked about as if she were contemplating a purchase. The Doctor barely gave it a glance.

“You know, I’m glad it’s you,” Alan said. “I could do with the company.”

“You’re on a ship full of people and you want company?” Donna questioned as she sat on the bed.

“But with them I have to be the officer they expect. If I do anything to blow off steam, it’ll make the rounds and be all blown out of proportion by the time the media gets hold of it.”

“It sounds like someone’s a little full of themselves.”

“Doctor, please.” Alan nodded towards Donna.

“Donna, you really need to learn about someone before you insult them. Alan here is the top pilot of the Alliance and one of the—if not _the_ —most-decorated soldiers.”

Alan could feel his ears turning red.

“In terms of star factor, think Brad Pitt and David Beckham combined times ten.”

“Oh.” She looked at Alan with new respect. “Sorry. I just thought...”

“Since I was simply flying escort, I must be a nobody.”

“Not a nobody,” Donna said.

“I will admit I was wondering why,” the Doctor told him.

“Since the TOC went public, I’ve become ‘too valuable a property to be risked on the front lines’,” Alan quoted.

“And the others?”

“Eric’s still on the _Dreadnought_ and Shannon and Ryan are gathering intelligence on Karifa.”

“That’s not right,” Donna declared. “Why should you be the only one restricted?”

“Believe me, I asked the same question without getting a satisfactory answer. At least I’m still flying. Care to see the rest of the ship?”


	2. Chapter 2

The Doctor watched Donna interact with Alan. After their initial exchange, they seemed to get along like a house on fire—whatever that meant. There was nothing special about the ship itself, but Donna was enjoying her first visit to a spaceship where she didn’t have to hide.

They ended the tour on the bridge where they stood out of the way as the crew prepared for landing. It was all rather mundane, but the Doctor relished it for just that reason. One could only live adventure-to-adventure for only so long before growing tired. A stop like this would be just perfect. Because of that, he couldn’t help but feel it wouldn’t last.

“So, if we’re landing, why did you show us a room?” Donna asked Alan.

“A chance to freshen up without having to go back to the TARDIS. Knowing him, it’s probably about five levels down.”

“Six. You’ve travelled with him too?”

“I’m right here,” the Doctor told them even though he knew it wouldn’t make much difference. He was beginning to wish they were arguing again.

Lt Chase came over and saluted Alan. “All the processing is complete and we’ve radioed ahead to let Jacsmira know how many to expect.” She looked pointedly and the Doctor and Donna.

“Ah, even though you’ve already met them, I guess I should make introductions. Lt. Madeleine Chase, allow me to introduce Donna Noble and the Doctor, friends of mine. Maddie is one of the best officers on this ship.”

“Hello,” they both said. The Doctor loved how in synch they were.

“No hard feelings about before?”

“No, you were just doing your job,” the Doctor responded with a smile.

“I’ve almost gotten used to it,” Donna remarked.

“Best not to get into that,” the Doctor said quickly before Maddie could ask for more information.

“Will you be here long?” she asked, taking the hint.

“It depends. He doesn’t like staying very long in one place.” Donna nodded in his direction. “Afraid he’ll start taking root.”

The Doctor merely shrugged and smiled. How could he argue when it was close to the truth? There was so much out there to be seen and experienced, he couldn’t stay still for long. It was that wanderlust that drove him to leave and now, when he was getting sentimental in his old age, there was no home to go back to, just memories.

“Oi, Spaceman!”

He looked at Donna. “Sorry, what?”

“Alan was talking to you.”

“I need to report in, but once that’s done I want to find out about Shannon and Ryan. I should’ve heard back by now. I just thought you might want to tag along.”

“Two missing people in the middle of a war zone? Just try keeping me away.”

*******************************

Donna followed the Doctor and Alan as they crossed the port into the base’s main building. All the personnel stopped what they were doing and saluted. It made her stand a bit straighter and walk with a bit of a swagger. For his part, Alan didn’t even bother returning the salute or it would’ve been locked in place the whole time.

The entered the commander’s office and Alan delivered his report including the arrival of the Doctor and herself.

“Very concise, Colonel. I wish all my officers knew how to keep to the point.”

“It’s a knack. Have you heard anything about Ryan or Shannon?”

“No, Alan. There hasn’t been any chatter.”

“That’s what I was afraid of.” Alan turned and headed for the door.

“You can’t use any Alliance property to go after them!” the commander warned.

“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Donna had seen that look before. On the Doctor, it never boded well. She could only imagine what it meant with Alan.

“What was that all about?” she asked once they were outside.

“My brother and friend haven’t reported in, so we’re going after them.”

“What?” She stopped. “We’re knowingly going into a war zone to save people who may or may not be there?”

“Yep.” They kept walking.

She ran to catch them up. “Flyboy, did you ever think that this was just to get you out there?”

“They might be expecting me,” Alan replied, “but I doubt they’ll be expecting the Doctor.”

“People rarely do,” the Doctor remarked.

Alan stopped at a corner and made sure no one was around. “Hold on.”

Donna saw the Doctor take hold of Alan’s left arm so she grabbed his right. She tried to brace herself but before she knew it, they were in the TARDIS. “Wow.”

“Thanks.” Alan leaned against the jump seat by the console.

“You’re getting better,” the Doctor commented.

“Well, last time we were together, I had a good deal of practice.”

Donna had never liked it when people held conversations and left her out. “What last time?” The two exchanged a look. “What?”

“Do you remember Harold Saxon?” the Doctor asked.

“’Course. Prime Minister who killed the American president. Why doesn’t it surprise me that you were there?”

“There was quite a bit going on behind the scenes and Alan had to use his talents a lot.”

Donna had a feeling there was more to the story than they were saying. “Okay, so how do we find them? Since they were spying, we can’t really go door-to-door.”

“That’s easy,” said the Doctor as he fiddled with the controls. “We just use the TARDIS to close in on the machines’ unique energy signal.”

“How unique is unique?” The Doctor bandied words about so often that they sometimes lost their original meaning.

“Only six in existence,” Alan replied.

“That’s unique,” she agreed. A thought came to her. “What if they’ve been captured and their machines taken away?”

“They should still be in the general area,” the Doctor responded as he stood back from the console. “We’ll just need to do a quick recce when we land.”

“Your ‘recces’ always get us in trouble,” Donna stated.

“I wouldn’t say always,” the Doctor said nearly pouting.

Donna looked to Alan for support.

“It does seem inevitable,” he said diplomatically, “but I wouldn’t say always. Today, for instance.”

“Okay, I’ll give you that one, but what about your previous travels with him?”

“Let’s see. The first time I met him he was locked up.”

“Par for the course,” she commented.

“The less said about that...” The Doctor seemed a bit embarrassed.

“Then there was the ship I was captaining.”

“Ah, now, that was a good one. Fitz and I went to a tavern, found out what you were doing, and joined you.”

 _Recce in a pub, not bad._ “Next?”

“I was lying in hospital undergoing burn treatment when he spotted me.”

“’Burn treatment’?”

“The ship I was travelling on was sabotaged and I was caught under burning wreckage.”

“That’s right. Peri and I wanted to check on survivors. This is fun. Give us another.”

Donna couldn’t help but laugh. It was probably rare for the Doctor to have a friend who travelled as much as he did.

“What was next? Oh, yes, this was a very fortunate encounter for me.” Alan looked at the Doctor. “Remember?”

The Doctor’s face was always amusing when he was thinking. _Wait for it. Yeah, there it is._ The Doctor’s tongue stuck out like a child in exaggerated thought.

“The alley after you’d been shot.”

Alan nodded.

Donna looked at Alan. “Your life’s almost as dangerous as his. How many more meetings before this one?”

“Three. Do you want me to continue?”

“To be fair, one of those doesn’t count,” interjected the Doctor.

“True. UNIT was called in.”

“You knew him when he was with UNIT?” Donna was amused by this. “They kept saluting him.”

“Bet that didn’t go over very well.”

“Not a bit. Didn’t like being called ‘sir’, either.”

“I wish I could’ve seen that,” Alan chuckled.

“Moving on. So next was Washington. No danger on that initial foray either.”

“Considering you were in a city under siege, that’s quite amazing.” Alan turned to Donna. “Two days later, the British burned Washington DC.”

“Of course they did. That leaves one more time.”

“OK, I think they had already been there two days before I met up with them. Declared enemies of the Crown, Britain’s most wanted. All a set-up, of course. Harold Saxon was actually a Time Lord and...” Alan never finished.

Donna looked at the Doctor and saw the anguish in his eyes. It was something with which he was still uncomfortable. “OK, there are some moments when we aren’t in near-immediate peril when we step outside the TARDIS, but you have to admit they are rare—comparatively speaking.”

“But that’s what makes it all so exciting,” the Doctor declared. “You never know what’s waiting outside.”

As the centre column stopped, announcing their arrival, Donna had to agree.

**************************

When they materialized, Alan had to keep himself from filling the others in his plan. Those two weren’t under his command. Donna would probably argue the point while the Doctor, well, the Doctor would just ignore him. In these cases, he deferred to the driver. “Okay, now what?”

The Doctor looked him over. “First off, I’d say you’d better change out of that uniform. We don’t need you attracting any attention to yourself.”

“Like you won’t,” Alan shot back.

“But I’m not a known enemy,” the Doctor returned.

“Not here, anyway.”

“Just go get changed.”

With a smile, Alan headed for the TARDIS wardrobe where he found some jeans, a navy t-shirt, and a worn brown leather jacket. Fairly comfortable, relaxed, and looking nothing like an Alliance officer, he returned to the console room.

“That was quick,” the Doctor said approvingly.

“As you know, not my first trip to the wardrobe.”

“All right then.” The Doctor grabbed his coat from the railing and bounded down the ramp to the door.

Alan held out his arm. “Miss Noble?”

She smiled and looped her arm through his. “You are too kind.”

They walked onto a once-productive field that was now pockmarked with craters; sure sign of a battle. Donna gripped his arm a little tighter.

“Any idea where we are?” the Doctor asked as he scanned the area.

“I can only go by reports, but I think there’s a small town over that ridge.”

“They’re not just going to accept three strangers walking into town,” said the Doctor as he walked towards the ridge. “We need to present ourselves as harmless.”

Alan picked up Donna in his arms.

“What do you think you’re doing, Flyboy?” She kicked her legs and twisted her body, nearly causing Alan to lose his balance.

“Don’t you remember spraining your ankle during our escape?”

“Typical, make the woman trip and fall. Why can’t it be you or the Doctor?”

“’Cause I’d look awfully silly carrying him.”

“Not as silly as him carrying you,” she said with a laugh.

The Doctor stopped and looked back at them. “I could do it, you know.”

“Never said you couldn’t, just that it’d look silly. Men don’t carry men like this unless they’re unconscious or dead.”

Alan smiled as he listened to their banter. It was as if they were best mates without any of the romantic undertones. Then, anything after Rose would be one-sided. “Poor Martha.”

“Did you say something, Flyboy?”

“Hmm? No, nothing.”

“Yes, you did. It’s okay, he can’t hear us.”

Alan could see the Doctor was ahead of them, already heading into the town. He sighed. “I said ‘poor Martha’ because of her unrequited love for the Doctor. You don’t...”

“With him? God, no!” She laughed. “We’re just mates, is all. I know all about Rose and I’ve met Martha. She’s moved on, gotten engaged.”

“Good for her.” Alan could see a small group of people had gathered to watch their approach. “Curtain up.”


	3. Chapter 3

The Doctor saw the welcoming committee and tried to figure out the best approach. They weren’t armed which was a good sign. _Perhaps thankful would be the best way._ “Hello! Thank goodness, we’ve found you. We’ve been wandering quite a bit now.” 

One of the men came forward. “Welcome, stranger. I am Leiman, mayor of Shadowbrook.” He looked behind the Doctor at Donna and Alan. “I see one of your party is injured. Why don’t we move this inside where she can be tended to.”

“Thank you.” He looked over at Alan as he came up alongside. He was barely breathing hard. He rubbed his head and hoped Alan understood the hint. [Follow my lead] he projected.

Alan nodded. From the surprised look on Donna’s face, Alan had relayed the message in the same manner.

Leiman led them into the reception area of the municipal building. The Doctor sat in a deceptively comfortable chair and watched as Alan set Donna on the sofa, propping up her “injured” ankle. “I noticed as we walked in that you don’t seem to have suffered as much as other places we’ve seen,” he commented.

“We did near the start,” Leiman answered as he sat in a chair that was twin to the Doctor’s. “I think the fact that we have no true resources to plunder and hold no strategic value, we were left alone.”

“We’re certainly thankful for your location,” remarked Donna.

“You’re quite welcome, Miss...”

“Oh, sorry. That’s Donna Noble, Alan Chesterton and I’m the Doctor.”

Alan looked at him questioningly but said nothing.

Leiman smiled. “You can stay the night at the hotel—free of charge, of course—until Miss Noble is ready to travel.”

“That’s very hospitable of you. I don’t think we’ll be too long. We were separated from some friends and need to meet up with them.”

“We’ve had no one come by this way for some time. I think we’ve been forgotten.”

“You seem to be doing well enough,” commented Donna. “Everyone looks healthy and well-fed.”

“We’ve managed to get by with what we have.” Leiman stood. “Let me escort you to the hotel.”

Alan bent over and lifted Donna once more as the Doctor stood. “That would be most welcome. I think we could all do with a bit of kip.”

“’Kip’?”

“Rest, sleep, nap, doze,” the Doctor clarified.

“Ah, of course.”

They followed Leiman outside where a crowd had gathered just to see them. The townspeople followed at a discreet distance and their odd silence made the Doctor uneasy. Leiman did nothing to disperse them as they stopped outside the hotel and took up a vigil.

“You must not get many visitors if we get this reaction,” commented Donna.

“Yes, strangers are rare. We treat them like precious gems.”

There was something about Leiman’s manner that seemed at odds with his words, but the Doctor couldn’t place it. Perhaps once they spoke in the hotel room, the others might have noticed it too.

Leiman opened the door and showed them into a suite. “Oh. My. God!” declared Donna.

Even Alan was stunned. “This is quite...unexpected,” he said as he set Donna onto a chaise.

Leiman looked at him curiously. “I meant what I said about treating guests like gems. Rest well.”

The moment the door closed behind him, Donna was up exploring the suite. “This place is huge! It’s all top quality.”

“Stayed in many five-star hotels, have we?”

“No, but I know it when I see it.”

“What is a luxury suite doing in a city in the middle of nowhere?” the Doctor mused.

“They said they like to treat visitors well,” replied Donna, her enthusiasm waning.

“Being caught in the middle of a war, you would think they would have other priorities.” The Doctor began to pace the room, rubbing his hands back-and-forth over his head to help him think. “Even if they do treat their guests like gold, they shouldn’t have been able to keep up the hotel. It should be shabby and worn.”

“Yet everything looks brand new.”

“We have to find out if the rest of the rooms have been remodelled or just this one,” said Alan from his position by the window.

“What will that prove?” Donna questioned. “Lazy decorators?”

“It could make this a trap,” the Doctor replied.

**************************************************

Donna tried to rest but couldn’t relax. The Doctor and Alan had learned that this was the only remodelled room. The rest was all cobwebs and dust. Believing this to be a trap, she couldn’t sleep waiting for it to happen. Alan had no trouble and was fast asleep. The Doctor was reading some of the books left in the suite. _How can they act like we’re not in trouble? Any moment now, the creepy townsfolk will spring their trap and it’ll be too late._

She turned to her other side and punched the pillow before trying to settle down again. _Think tranquil thoughts._ She conjured up a tropical beach where the only sound was the waves against the shore. It was perfectly idyllic and she could feel herself drifting off.

When she woke up, she was disappointed to realize she wasn’t in a tropical paradise. Then she noticed she wasn’t even in her hotel bed. The trap had been sprung. In the dim lighting, she could tell they were in a cave of some sort. There were maybe ten others with them and the Doctor and Alan were conversing with two of them.

The Doctor spotted her. “Donna, glad you’re awake. Come join us.”

Only the Doctor would treat being locked up underground like a cocktail party. “Hang on!” She stumbled slightly on the uneven ground and thought how ironic it would be if she sprained her ankle for real. She reached the Doctor’s side in one piece and pushed her hair back. “So, what’s this pow-wow in aid of?”

“Planning an escape,” Alan answered. “Donna, this is my brother Ryan and my friend Shannon.”

Donna really couldn’t see much of a family resemblance under better lighting and if Ryan were clean-shaven, she might see something. Shannon was ginger too even though she looked a little grimy right now. “Hi.”

The two smiled and greeted her in return.

“They were caught the same way,” the Doctor informed her.

“We had heard some stories about this place so we decided to check it out.” She was Irish. The name should have been a clue, but that didn’t mean the same nowadays.

“How come Alan couldn’t contact you?”

“They must be jamming us somehow. Believe me, we tried calling out ourselves.”

“How many people know you’re telepathic?” the Doctor questioned.

“Only a handful,” responded Shannon.

“So, since your abilities aren’t public knowledge, I doubt it’s being done on purpose. This may sound like a stupid question, but did you try communicating with each other?”

Ryan and Shannon looked at each other. “We didn’t even think to try after the other didn’t work,” admitted Ryan.

“Well, go on.”

Donna watched the three friends and could tell it worked when Shannon blushed. She had a feeling the two were teasing her about the Doctor. “I see it works,” she commented.

“What does that prove?” Ryan wanted to know.

“Just supports a theory.” The Doctor stood and walked to the cave wall behind them. One spot in particular interested him. He scraped off some dirt, dabbed a bit on an index finger, which he placed on his tongue.

Donna couldn’t help but make a face.

“Tell me he didn’t just eat dirt.” Shannon sounded a little disillusioned.

“He does that a lot,” Donna confirmed.

“So how does it taste?”

“Like nikolai.”

Donna had never heard of it and, going by the others’ faces, neither had they. “And that’s special because?”

“It’s a rather blah little mineral that’s usually found in bellarium mines.”

“Which this was,” Shannon stated.

“Anyway, it was always overshadowed by its more glamorous twin, as it were. It doesn’t do anything except in a high concentration when it blocks all psi abilities. So, the good news is that nobody above is aware of your abilities.”

“But,” Donna finished, “the bad news is we’re stuck here anyway.”

********************************

After the Doctor’s announcement that they were well and truly imprisoned until he could think of something, he brightly dodged the subject by asking how they’d been since he last saw them.

[Guys, let me just warn you. Rose is gone, in another universe and they can never see each other again. Don’t bring it up.]

[Like I would be so insensitive,] came Ryan’s reply.

[Yes, you would. You have been,] Shannon answered.

They made small talk with the Doctor and Donna as they tried to figure out why they were imprisoned and hopefully find a way out. They had no idea how far below the surface they were, which limited their options.

Donna was sitting against a wall, just staring at the ceiling. “What’s that?” She was pointing at a dark area.

The Doctor walked over and looked directly up at the spot. He then licked a finger and held it up. “Brilliant!” he said with a laugh.

“What?” Shannon asked coming up beside him.

“Air vent.”

“You can’t be serious,” said Ryan.

“Perfectly serious. This leads to the surface and we can get out that way and head for the TARDIS.”

“But how do we know it will stay the same width?”

“Because they sometimes doubled as access.”

Alan could hear the uncertainty in the Doctor’s voice but ignored it. “One of us should go up first to make sure it’s safe.”

“And you want to volunteer,” Ryan said. “You realize there are others who could do it just as well.”

“What? You want to shoot for it?” As an officer, Alan felt it was his duty to take risks. Ryan should be used to it by now. 

“Boys,” Donna said, "this is not the time.” Donna walked up to them. “I’ll do it.”

“Donna, are you sure…” the Doctor started.

“I need to contribute to this. You each bring something to the table and there's not much in a mine that can use my clerical expertise.” She looked at the Doctor. “I can do this.”

“Just be careful.”

“Right then.” Alan and Ryan prepared to lift Donna to the opening.

One of the other prisoners rushed over. “They’re coming,” he said nervously.

“Crap. Okay, change of plan.”

“What? I can still make it.”

“Donna, no time for arguing.” Alan pressed a hand to the leather bracelet on his wrist, returning it to his true appearance as his machine. He pressed a few buttons before handing it to Donna. “This will take you to Jacsmira. Tell Maddie Chase everything.”

“You had that with you the whole time? Why didn’t you leave before?” Donna berated him.

“He’s got these strange ideals of self-sacrifice,” Ryan said by way of explanation.

“Ryan believes in self-preservation,” commented Shannon. “Donna, just go before it’s too late and it won’t matter.”

With a last look at the Doctor, Donna pressed the blinking button just as the door to the mine opened and Leiman entered. “Everyone outside,” he declared.

The prisoners shuffled along towards the exit. Alan and the others mingled so as to hide the fact Donna was gone. The bright sunlight was blinding as they were herded like prize cattle towards an open field. Alan was half expecting to see a corral. Armed villagers took up position around them marking the perimeter as well as any fence. _Slave trade._

Leiman took position at the edge of the field and spoke to everyone gathered. “You are here to help save this village. It is not the way we want this to work, but it is the only thing we have. You will wait here until they come to collect you.”

“Short and sweet,” the Doctor muttered.

“That’s how they keep this town in decent shape,” Shannon said.

“But who are they trading with?” Ryan needed to know.

**********************************************

The Doctor had come across slavers before but this was different. This was luring people into a trap and then passing them along for survival. For greed, for money, he could understand, but doing this for survival made him furious. It was inconceivable. There had to be something else they could do, something else they could trade in. _Perhaps something they had already traded in._ He approached Leiman. “You don’t have to do this,” he told the mayor. “There is something else you can trade in other than flesh.”

“You have seen Shadowbrook and its environs.” He spread his arms out. “We have nothing.”

“Yes, but I’ve also seen _under_ the town. I’m guessing the area is riddled with mine tunnels. I’m sure I could find you rich veins of bellarium. It’s very sought after. I’m sure you could trade for supplies with anyone you wanted.”

“The mine died out years ago. Why do you think we’ve resorted to this?”

“I can find it,” the Doctor said. “You just hold off the trade until I do.” He stared at Leiman, silently pleading for the man to see the truth.

“I will delay until you find this vein. If not, the trade will go through as planned.”

“Brilliant! Ryan, Alan, Shannon, let’s go.”

“No.”

That terse syllable made the Doctor look at Leiman in surprise. “What?”

“Those two,” Leiman said, pointing at Alan and Shannon, “will stay here to ensure your cooperation.”

“He volunteered to help you,” Shannon argued. “Cooperation isn’t in question.”

“Perhaps, but your presence here will _inspire_ him to succeed and return.”

Shannon looked like she was ready to argue, but the Doctor put a restraining hand on her arm. “It’s all right, Shannon. It’s not like I haven’t been through this before. You and Alan keep things calm. The last thing we need is panic ruling up here.”

Alan turned to Leiman. “Do you have a way for us to communicate? We’ll need to know when the vein is exposed.”

“Of course.” Leiman motioned to a middle-aged man who turned and head back to town. “Dyas will bring back communication devices for you. Is there anything else you need?”

“My sonic screwdriver. The silver wand thing I had on me at the hotel,” he clarified. “And we’ll need some equipment and some people to help with the digging. I won’t know about anything else until we get down there.”

“This can be arranged.” Leiman pointed to some of the village men who looked like they wouldn’t mind some manual labor. “They will help you, Doctor, bust should you do anything they construe as harmful to Shadowbrook, they will stop you.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

Dyas returned with devices for the Doctor, Alan, Shannon and Ryan. The Doctor slipped his into his ear. “Right. I guess we’ll go back to town so I can get the sonic and then it’s underground.”

“Heigh ho,” said Ryan sarcastically.

“I guess that makes you Grumpy,” teased Alan. “You’re certainly not Bashful.”

The Doctor knew that the brothers would get into it if he let them, so he stepped in. “Gentlemen, this is not the time. Ryan, we have to go.”

“We will finish this later,” Ryan stated.

“Yes, Dad!” Alan called after them as they walked away.

After a stop at the municipal building to retrieve the sonic, the Doctor, Ryan and their group of miners headed for the mine entrance. The Doctor was already planning how he would go about revealing the vein while keeping a high level of purity. Oh, and of course, keep the mine from crashing down on them.

“You do know what you’re doing, right?” Ryan questioned as they entered the large cavern in which they had been held.

“I am hurt that you could even think such a thing,” he responded indignantly. “I’ll have you known I’ve been in quite a few mines.”

“That doesn’t really answer my question, Doctor.”

The Doctor had forgotten that Ryan was in Intelligence. The man knew how to read people and how to get them to speak. Well, he’d been around too long to fall for such tactics. “I thought I had.” He took out the sonic and began to scan the walls, taking periodic readings. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ryan and the villagers standing in the middle, watching him. At least they weren’t talking, distracting him with unnecessary questions.

He stopped for a moment to think about Donna. Oh, he wasn’t worried. He knew Alan’s machine would take her right back to Jacsmira. He was just worried that she wouldn’t be believed and relief would arrive too late. He smiled at the thought of her bossing the officers around.

He checked the sonic and slipped it into his pocket. “Gentlemen, ready your pickaxes.”

“Aren’t you gonna use your sonic?” asked Ryan. “It’d save us a lot of time.”

“And possibly bring the whole thing down on us? I need to find the right setting and to do it safely takes time.”

“Fine.” Ryan started swinging his pickaxe with the others.


	4. Chapter 4

Donna found herself standing in a small room, more like a closet. She cautiously opened the door and stepped out. The hall was busy with people, both civilian and Military. At least she wouldn’t stand out. She just had to figure out where she was and how to get to Maddie Chase. Well, I won’t get anywhere just standing here. She fell into step with the throng and watched for signs to tell her where she was.

After a few wrong turns, Donna ended up in the canteen. She managed to get a warm cup of weak tea before scanning the room. There, by the window. She wove her way through the tables and stopped in front of the young officer. “I don’t know if you remember me,” she started.

Lt. Chase looked up at her. “Donna, right?” She motioned for Donna to sit. “I thought you were with Col. Kelly.”

“I was.” Donna showed Maddie her wrist. “We found Shannon and Ryan who were being held prisoner in an abandoned mine. Alan sent me here to get help.” Donna smiled. “Mentioned you by name.”

“Well, that’s flattering, but I really don’t know what I can do. You know they wouldn’t give him the support.”

“From what I gather, Alan is like royalty around here. I’d think your higher-ups would go out of their way to get him back.”

“I agree with you. Believe me, practically everyone on this base would agree with you. The thing is, it wasn’t a sanctioned mission. Unless we can give the Brass a reason, we’re stuck.”

“What about--”

“If we’re going to plot, it’s best we do it where we won’t be overheard.”

Donna followed Maddie outside along a few winding pavements until they reached a high hedge. This better not be a maze. I do not do mazes. She trailed Maddie through an opening in the hedge and found herself in a small but beautiful garden. Donna didn’t recognize any of the flowers but that didn’t make it any less amazing. “This is just… Wow.”

Maddie smiled. “Hardly anyone comes here. Sometimes I just have to get away from the concrete and steel, you know?”

“I can see why. It’s wonderful.”

Both women sat on a wooden bench by a small waterfall. “What can you tell me about where you were?” asked Maddie. “Do you know the name of the planet?”

She thought for a moment, replaying bits of conversations. “Alan said Ryan and Shannon were on Karifa.”

“That planet’s in the heart of the disputed territory. Is there anything you can think of to narrow it down?”

Donna tried to remember. “There was a field that had been in the middle of a battle. The village we went to looked near-derelict, but the people were well fed.”

“You think they trade people for supplies?”

“They must do.” Donna did not want to contemplate what would happen. “If we don’t get there in time, the Doctor, Alan, Shannon and Ryan will be traded into slavery. I don’t think that’s something your Alliance will condone.”

“I don’t think so either.” Maddie stood with renewed energy. “Let’s go tell the Commandant. If there were a known insurgence or something, that would make the Alliance need to take action. We just have to get them motivated.”

Donna stood next to her. “I’m very good at motivating.”

***********************************

Alan sat on the ground and looked at his fellow prisoners. Some had their faces tilted to the sun, experiencing it for the first time in days, possibly weeks. They had been fed, he could see that. Of course, Leiman would want them to be healthy enough to fetch a good price, but not too healthy that they’d fight back.

Now they all looked to him for leadership. He didn’t think it was because they knew who he was, but more likely because he was the latest arrival and set about trying to escape. Right now, all he could do was keep them from panicking while the Doctor did his thing.

Shannon sat down next to him. “Everyone’s relatively calm now that I’ve assured them about the Doctor. Do you really think he can do it?”

“He always seems to pull it off somehow.” He pressed the communicator. “How’s it going down there?”

“Slow but sure,” came the Doctor’s voice.

“We’d go a bit faster if the Doctor would get his hands dirty,” Ryan panted.

“This is delicate work I’m doing!”

“So you’ve been saying.”

“Stop bickering, you two!” Shannon ordered. “Remember the people waiting, depending on you finding that mineral.”

After a moment, the Doctor spoke. “Right. Thank you for keeping us on track, Shannon.”

“We’ll call you with progress reports,” added Ryan.

Alan turned off the device and looked at Shannon. “You handled them very well. Did you do a lot of babysitting growing up?”

“Some, but I’ve gotten recent practice with you and Ryan.”

“We do not act like little kids.” Alan was indignant.

“Oh, yes, you do. I keep expecting one of you to stick your tongue out.”

“In that case, I shall endeavour to act more adult in those situations.”

“I’ll hold you to it.”

They shared a smile before the seriousness of their situation closed in once again. They didn’t know how long they had to wait and he didn’t want the group acting like strangers. They needed to bond together, learn each other’s names and where they were from.

Alan walked over to the others and sat down by a mother and her son. “I thought this would be a good time to get to know each other. I know it may sound corny, but we don’t know how long we’ll be here so we may as well pass the time productively.” He looked at the little boy and held out his hand. “Hi, I’m Alan.”

The boy looked at his mother, who nodded. “Aaron,” he said shyly as his hand was engulfed by Alan’s.

“Pleasure to meet you Aaron.”

“I’m Emma,” said the mother. “Are you Alan Kelly?”

“Yes, I am.”

At that, Alan and Shannon were mobbed by people introducing themselves. After, everyone was more open to sharing stories. The only story left unsaid was that of the Doctor’s progress.

*************************************************

The Doctor wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of a grimy hand. It was impossible at this point not to get dirty. They had made progress into a new tunnel and the Doctor was positive they were following the right vein. The men from the village looked at him with annoyance, but Ryan was the only one who said anything.

“So, have you got that glorified torch of yours working yet?”

“Ryan, it is not a torch. It’s a sonic screwdriver,” he stated clearly and evenly though he knew very well the other was putting him on.

“So far, I’ve only seen a light. It can’t screw anything, sonic or otherwise.”

He looked at Ryan in the blue light of the sonic, “I think I’ve found the right frequency.”

The Doctor held his breath as he pressed the button to activate the sonic. The dirt and rock fell from the wall in in fine powder like it was supposed to. He released his breath and smiled. Before long, the ore was exposed, its facets glittering in the light. Ryan handed him a small hammer and chisel and the Doctor removed a sample. “Okay, now we get to the top and shop Leiman what you have. This is prime stuff.”

They backed out of the tunnel and went through the cavern to the exit.

Ryan stopped. “Doctor, you know when I said that sonic thing of yours hadn’t screwed anything? I lied.”

Ahead of them, the Doctor could see a massive cave-in blocking their way out.


	5. Chapter 5

Alan listened as Shannon shared some Irish fairy tales. It was beginning to feel like a day in the park and he knew it was time for it to end. He felt the rumble of the heavy vehicles before he heard them. Once the other captives heard the sound, he saw the dear return to their faces. “Remember,” he cautioned, “we have to stay calm. Any outbursts of fear or anger will only stir things up and there could be casualties. Oh, and they don’t know who I am.” He opened the connection on the communicator. “How’re you guys doin’ down there? We’ve company.”

“We’ve found a lovely present to bring to the party, but there’s been a slight delay.”

Alan interpreted that to mean they had the mineral but were stuck. “You got caught in a cave-in?” He saw Leiman quickly approaching. “What do I tell the host?”

“The truth. He has to delay as best he can. We’ll keep you updated.”

Leiman looked at Alan. “What’s wrong?”

“They have the bellarium but there was a cave-in. You have to delay the trade. You can’t tell them about the bellarium or they’ll just take it for themselves.”

“What do I tell them?”

Alan felt an anger and sympathy for Leiman—leaning to wards the side of anger. He looked at the gathered prisoners and his eyes settled on Aaron. He could say the boy hurt his leg, but they’d just make somebody carry him. “Say the boy is sick and you’re waiting on medicine. Tell them that a sick child won’t be of any use.” Alan melted back into the group.

A lean man strode over to them. He was dressed well over his toned frame. A larger, muscular man took up position behind him. “Leiman, what have you got for me this time?”

Alan opened communication again. “I gave Leiman some pointers about what to say. I hope he doesn’t cave. Any progress for you?”

“We’ve got some working on trying to clear the cave-in and some are heading through the shafts we were going to use before,” answered Ryan.

“It shouldn’t be much longer,” added the Doctor. “Do what you can to keep those people safe.”

“Okay.” He listened as Leiman asked for more time. “This guy is not happy with Leiman talking back. Now Leiman’s pointing at the boy like I advised. Oh, crap!”

Alan rushed forward but was too late to stop Leiman from standing in front of Aaron as the trader fired. Both the villagers and the prisoners were stunned. Emma held Aaron close.

“Now, is there anyone else who has to say something regarding this transaction?” the trader asked the villagers.

They looked amongst themselves, lost without their leader. They also didn’t know the reason for the delay. That left him with only one option.

“I do,” Alan stated as he moved forward.

The man looked him up and down. “Oh, really?” he scoffed.

“Alan, we’re almost through,” came the Doctor’s voice. “Don’t--”

Alan pulled the device from his ear. “I’ve got a better deal for you. Take me instead of them.” His eyes never waivered.

[Alan, what are you thinking?]

[It keeps everyone safe and you guys can get me later.]

“And why would I take you instead of twelve?”

“The right people would pay more for me than everyone here combined.”

“Someone’s a little full of himself.”

His men laughed.

“Perhaps my name might clarify things: Col. Alan Kelly.”

************************************

Donna looked out onto space from the large observation window. She still found it overwhelming that she was here. She hoped the feeling would never go away.

Maddie stood beside her. “We’re only a few hours out. Col. Durant is making sure we’re going as fast as we can.”

“I just fell so responsible. They sent me to get help and if we’re too late…”

“There was no way you could have known that they would have taken so long to reach a decision.”

“It doesn’t ease the pressure any. I know the Doctor can fix just about anything, but I don’t want any unnecessary deaths, you know?”

“When it comes to civilians, every death is unnecessary.”

“Just civilians?” Donna fumed. “I know I’m not army, but I would think even in a battle you’d want to keep the body count low.”

“Of course, but soldiers know there is every chance they’re going to die. Yes, every death in war hurts, but civilians are the ones that are truly unnecessary.”

Donna could see her point even though she didn’t completely agree. It wouldn’t do to alienate her only friend at the moment over something so _trivial_. At least they both agreed on the civilians.

Durant found them not long after. “There’s been some chatter concerning Karifa. A variety of ships are gathering.”

“What kind of ships?” Donna asked.

“The disreputable kind,” the colonel replied.

“Like they’re gathering for an auction,” added Maddie.

“What can we do?”

“The plan is to approach and surround. We have nothing on them at the moment so we give them the option to leave.”

“Let them leave? They’re buying people!”

“Donna, in order to catch them, we have to witness the transaction.”

“Is there any way to do that? Get someone down on the surface? I have his machine.”

“Which would put you right back into the hands of the people you escaped from,” countered Durant. “That is not an option.”

Instead of arguing the point, Donna tried to think of other options from many years of watching American police dramas. “What about probable cause?” They looked at her questioningly. “I don’t know what it’s called now, but when you pull someone over for, say, speeding and then you find they’re doing something else illegal.”

“Though I’m not sure of the terms, I get what you’re saying.” Maddie tried to explain it to Durant. “If we ask the ships to provide a reason for gathering and they run, we have the right to follow. If we happen to find prisoners onboard, we have our proof.”

“I’ll need to check the legalities of the move, but it sounds good to me. Maddie, come up to the bridge. We could use your assistance.”

“And what about me? You’re not going to shunt me off when it was my idea.” Donna was ready to get up into his face if that’s what it took.

Durant seemed ready to argue but decided against it. “Fine, but you stay where I tell you.”

Donna grinned as she followed to the bridge.

******************************************

The moment he had lost contact with Alan, he knew things had gone horribly wrong. Shannon wasn’t speaking to them either. The moment there was space enough, the Doctor wiggled through followed by Ryan. They ran to the field to find the prisoners still there and Leiman bleeding on the ground. Two men were kneeling beside him trying to stem the flow from his leg. They walked over to Shannon. “What happened?”

She pulled herself away from a mother and son. “The head man—I never heard his name—was going to shoot Aaron over there and Leiman stepped in front and took the bullet.”

“And Alan stood up to the guy and demanded to be taken instead,” stated Ryan. “Heroic and stupid. He knew we were on the way.”

“I think that’s why he did,” said the Doctor. “Well, that and the fact that I told him to do what he could to keep them safe.”

“So when do we go after them?”

“See if you can reach him and check how he is. I’d like to make sure everyone here is good before we leave. Shannon, why don’t you find out where everyone is from so we can get them home?”

“Already done,” she replied. “Alan got everyone telling stories to keep them relaxed.”

“Okay then.” He made his way to where Leiman lay. “Is he stabilized enough to be moved?”

“We have a stretcher on the way,” one of the men answered. “We’ll remove the bullet once he’s inside.”

“You’ll need to find someone to take over until Leiman’s well enough,” said Shannon. “You have a lot of rebuilding ahead of you.”

Leiman groaned and muttered something. The Doctor bent down. “We found it,” he told the man. “Shadowbrook can become very prosperous.”

“Alan?” he whispered.

“He’s fine,” the Doctor assured him. “Everyone is safe. You just let them take care of you.”

The stretcher arrived and Leiman was transferred onto it and taken back to the town. In unspoken agreement, everyone followed. The former prisoners mingled with the citizens, united in being spared.

Ryan caught up to the Doctor and Shannon. “Alan’s fine. He’s blindfolded so he can’t give details.”

“They probably won’t do anything to him so he’ll fetch a better price. He knew that as well.”

“Should we try to contact Jacsmira?” questioned Shannon.

The Doctor looked up at the sky. “I don’t think that’s necessary. They’re probably approaching orbit right about now.”

“Can we go after the slavers now?”

The Doctor watched as the townsfolk treated the former captives like real guests, sharing what they had. “I think everyone here has what they need for the time being.” He veered off to the municipal building. “Time to get your machines.”


	6. Chapter 6

Alan sat in the back of the transport with at least three guards. It was hard to gauge when they didn’t speak much. He sat back as if he was going for a drive in the country. He knew they wouldn’t hurt him—aside from a few bruises—because damaged goods brought a lower price.

What little they said, he couldn’t use. He didn’t bother trying to remove the blindfold or even try to see through the guards’ eyes because it wouldn’t make a difference. He’d wait until they reached their destination before sending any information back to the others.

[Alan, you okay?]

[Yeah, I’m fine. How’s Leiman?]

[Alive. They’re moving him back into town to operate.]

[Good. We’re still en route so I’ll let you know the details later.]

[Can’t you give me anything?]

[Blindfolded. I’ll contact you later.]

Close to fifteen minutes later, the truck stopped and Alan was pulled to his feet and practically pushed out. He maintained his balance as was taken by both arms and escorted across dusty ground into an enclosed space, most likely a small outbuilding judging by the sound.

He blinked few times after the blindfold was pulled off. He was kept standing. Sitting across from him at a makeshift desk was an older man—perhaps in his 50s—who was just starting to show a little girth. He seemed more the type to be found in a cubicle or middle management job, not running a slave trade ring.

“So, you’re the famous Alan Kelly. Not as big as the stories would have us believe. I’ll not question the good fortune that brought you to Shadowbrook. When Rafe notified me of the change, I spread the word to my buyers.” He took a long drink of water and Alan swallowed reflexively. “The boys will show you to your accommodations.”

The blindfold was replaced and Alan was taken across the compound to another building and locked in a room on the first floor. He lay back on the bunk and waited.

*******************************************8

Donna stood off to the side on the bridge. She could see everything happening and was still out of the way. Durant was captaining the ship, but could override if necessary. She was thankful that he invited her. It saved everyone the aggro. She still would have liked to have gone down there or even have someone infiltrate the auction, but the risk of being caught was too high. Now they were just waiting for the auction to go down.

“Sir, we’ve got a new wave of chatter from Karifa,” said the communications officer. “There’s been a change in the auction. No other details.”

Donna knew what happened. “He knows he has Alan and his friends. That’s all it can be. And he can’t escape because I have this.” She held up her wrist. “Can we change the plan now?”

“Donna, we don’t know they have the colonel,” said Maddie. If we go down there and he’s not involved, the man could go free.”

“But he’s trading in human lives!” Donna took a deep breath. “Even if it’s not Alan, there still could be people from Alliance worlds. That should be important enough.” Yes, her mouth sometimes got her in trouble, but she couldn’t let it go by.

Durant was getting his temper under control—Donna knew the signs well—when there was a “pop” of displaced air and Shannon was standing on the bridge.

“Donna, you made it.”

“I made it? What about you?” She wrapped the other woman in a hug. “I can’t get them to do anything.” Donna realized she sounded like she was working with kids.

“Yeah, well, that’s bureaucracy. I do have news to change that. They do have Alan. He traded himself for the other prisoners.”

The Doctor was right, that is true hero material.

“This gives you the intel you need to make the raid.”

“Everything but a location,” muttered Donna.

“We can track the signal back,” said Maddie, taking over the comms. “Shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Right, I’ve got to get back down there,” said Shannon. She looked at Donna. “Coming?”

Donna smiled. “I’ve been trying to get down there for hours.” She took hold of Shannon’s arm and they left.

***************************************

Even though the Doctor said they would go to Alan as soon as they had their machines, he still wanted to wait a little bit to make sure Leiman’s surgery was progressing without any complications. Shannon took the opportunity to home in on Alan’s machine and alert the Alliance to the newest development, and to bring Donna back. Ryan was burning off excess energy by walking the town and helping fix what he could. The Doctor had always seen the belligerent, snarky Ryan so that came as a surprise.

“Doctor!”

He turned at her voice. “Donna!”

She came over and hugged him tightly. “I knew you’d get out of it. But why did you let Alan get taken?”

“’Let him’? I wasn’t even there.”

“You don’t ‘let’ Alan do anything,” Shannon said in his defense. “He does what he wants.”

The Doctor pointed emphatically at Shannon. “Yes! Exactly!”

Ryan returned. “How far did you get?” he asked Donna.

“Mobilized a few ships,” she said, modestly bragging. The Doctor just imagined the restraint she was showling, not patting herself on the back.

“They’re planning to raid the area where Alan’s being held,” said Shannon.

Raids never ended well as there was panic on both sides. If he could talk to the slavers, he might be able to convince them to end this peacefully.

“Doctor?”

“Hm, what?” He looked at Donna.

“You just came up with a plan, didn’t you?”

“Not a plan. Well, not a conventional down-to-the-last-detail plan, no.”

“I don’t think you’ve ever had one of those,” commented Ryan. “You even told me you don’t hold much with plans.”

The Doctor tried to remember his conversations with Ryan. There weren’t that many. It was during his last regeneration and Ryan nearly had a heart attack at the news. “When you have a strict plan, you get thrown off when something goes wrong. A general idea is more flexible.”

“So what’s the general idea?” asked Shannon.

“We go to where Alan is being held and I talk the slavers into giving up quietly.”

Ryan scoffed. “I really don’t think that’ll work.”

“I’ve seen him talk down ____,” declared Donna. “Some local trader isn’t going to be a problem.”

“We’ll find out when we get there.” The Doctor looked at Ryan and Shannon. “Bring us to a safe spot within the compound. If they think we can get in at any time, we can use that against them.”

“Let them think that the Alliance could send people in at any moment,” Ryan mused. “I like that.”

“I had a feeling you would.”

Ryan and Shannon programmed their machines and the Doctor and Donna took hold and the four of them left Shadowbrook.


	7. Chapter 7

Alan was eating a small meal that consisted of rice and some sort of meat, the origin of which he wasn’t going to question. He was washing down a particularly nasty mouthful when Shannon contacted him.

[Hey, how are you holding up?]

[They’re feeding me and there’s no torture, so that’s a plus.]

[We’re just outside the compound with the Doctor and Donna. He wants to talk them into surrendering.]

[If anybody could…]

[Where are you?]

[Not sure. It’s at least two floors if that helps. I wasn’t planning an escape.]

[OK, I see the building,] came Ryan’s voice. [Can you give us better details?]

Alan closed his eyes and remembered how they brought him in. [Assuming it was the front door, we went forward and up one flight of stairs. We went left and then I was put in a room on the right. No window.]

[The Doctor says we’ll make seeing that you’re unharmed part of the deal.]

[So, basically, just hang tight until they come fetch me.]

[Yeah, basically.]

[Any change, tell me.] Alan put the remains of his meal on the small table and stretched out on the bed. Might as well be comfortable.

******************************

Donna looked at the Doctor questioningly when Shannon and Ryan went quiet. “They’re talking with Alan,” he explained. “Telepathy. Alan’s older brother has it too, I believe. Something about bloodlines. He tried to explain once. That’s a race I’d like to meet someday. They sound ancient enough to put Time Lords in daycare. I wonder if his affinity for weapons stems from that.”

“What affinity?”

“Put a weapon in his hand and he’ll be able to master it in a short time.”

“Quite the skill for a soldier.” Donna still couldn’t believe that the Doctor, a man who despised guns and fighting, would want a highly-decorated soldier amongst his friends. She was about to ask him about it when Shannon and Ryan ended their conversation with Alan.

“They’re feeding him,” Shannon announced.

“He’s being kept on the first floor in an inner room with no windows to cut down chances of escape.”

“Not that he’s trying.”

“So no time like the present, eh? We get to be snobby and officious?”

“You sound excited,” said Ryan. “You like all that talking?”

“That’s rich, coming from you,” teased Shannon. “You’re whole life before the TOC was based on your ability to talk.”

“Well, that doesn’t work any more. They all know who I am.” He looked at Donna, waiting for an answer.

“I’ve been exposed to so much official double talk, it’s a seond language.”

“So we go in and try to talk this man down,” the Doctor stated. “Did Alan tell you where to find the head man?”

“Yes, he did.” Shannon smiled.

The four of them materialiazed in a small office. The man sitting behind the desk reminded Donna of a few old bosses. His “support staff” drew their weapons. The Doctor put up his hands placatingly. Donna followed suit as did Ryan and Shannon.

“We’re here to negotiate,” said the Doctor. “No need to point those at us.”

“You appear in the middle of my office without notice, I will point a weapon. Who are you?”

“I’m the Doctor and this is Donna, Zoe and Jamie.”

 _He’s giving them aliases,_ Donna mused. _But where did he come up with those names?_

“Now, the Alliance has ships gathering above this planet preparing for a raid. I am here to try and prevent the loss of life such an act would incur.”

“Why would the Alliance raid here?” he asked with feigned innocence.

Donna wanted to wipe that smile off his face by saying they knew he had Alan, but this was the Doctor’s show right now. She’d jump in if he started floundering.

“According to witnesses in the town of Shadowbrook, you are holding an Alliance officer against his will.”

“I don’t know who these witnesses are, but I would never do something so foolhardy. For what purpose would I do such a thing?”

“If I may clarify a few points?” The Doctor nodded and Donna continued. “According to those at Shadowbrook, you sent your men to take people to trade as slaves. They admit to gathering these people for you, but right now, that’s not the argument. The officer traded himself for the prisoners. Realizing who you had, you planned to auction him off to the enemies of the Alliance.” They were all staring at her. “Just so we know where we stand.”

Donna stepped back and could see the man’s façade crack just a little bit.

“All the time we stand here discussing this, the Alliance moves closer. As you saw, they could transport men anywhere on this compound. If you and your men surrender, we can avoid all that bloodshed.” 

The Doctor and the trader stared at each other, neither wanting to appear weak. The trader had always preyed on the weak who caved easily. The Doctor had faced down Daleks and Sontorans, each with superior firepower, yet he had one. This guy didn’t stand a chance.

The trader had barely raised a finger and both of his men once again guns aiming in their direction.

“You really shouldn’t have done that,” complained the Doctor.

“Are you going to stop me, Mr. Negotiator?”

“Not me. You’ve just given them a reason to shoot.”

With that word from the Doctor, Ryan and Shannon pulled their weapons in one smooth move. Faced with such determined shooters, the trader’s men dropped their guns and raised their hands.

Shannon alerted Durant that they had successfully taken the compound and that there would be minimum resistance.

“Tell your men to lay down their guns and stand in the middle of the compound,” said Ryan as he bound the hands of the other men behind their backs. “And then you and I are going to release the prisoner.”

The trader spoke into his comms and ordered his men to do as Ryan instructed.

Allaince soldiers entered the office and saluted Shannon and Ryan. “Is this the head?” one of them asked.

“Yes. Take these two out into the compound,” Ryan answered. “More will be joining them. My new friend and I are off to get my brother.”

Donna smiled at the look on the man’s face as Ryan marched him out of the room. She turned to the Doctor. “A job well done. No shots fired. No one died.” She coaxed a smile from him. “I think that’s something to celebrate.”


	8. Chapter 8

The Doctor let Donna pull him outside. Donna was right in that no one had died, but a shot had still been fired. As soon as he could, he wanted to get back and make sure Leiman was out of the dark.

The slave traders were now contained within the center of the compound, Alliance soldiers guarding them. It was exactly what had been done to the prisoners at Shadowbrook. Somewhat appropriate.

A slow applause began to build. The Doctor looked up and saw Alan step out of the building directly opposite. He acknowledged with nods and a few waves.

"Seems quite the celebrity, basking in the attention," commented Donna.

The Doctor could see that Alan was embarrassed by the whole ordeal and told Donna. "He feels he doesn't deserve the attention as he does what any officer would do. Yes, he probably takes more risks than necessary, but they work out in the end."

"So that's why you're friends! I was wondering."

"What?"

"I was wondering what would make you friends with a soldier."

The Doctor was affronted by such a generalization. "Just because they carry guns doesn't mean that is their first instinct."

"That isn't what you said when we met up with UNIT."

"Yes, well, it took me quite some time to train Lethbridge-Stewart. Alan takes what he does seriously, a true officer and a gentleman. That's not to say he doesn't play a few pranks when off-duty." The Doctor smiled. "I really should try to get them to sing for you. They have _brilliant_ harmonies."

Alan and Ryan joined them at that moment. "I told you before, I'm not singing for you."

"That was before. You sure you won't?"

No, I won't, and neither will they."

Wheedling had never been one of the Doctor's best ploys. He never like the way he sounded—too much like a needy child.

"What? You guys are in a band? No way!"

"Not big on pop culture, are you?" remarked Shannon.

The Doctor failed to hide his laughter. That had been practically her whole life when they first met. He one-time fiancé Lance had even taunted her with it.

Donna took that as a personal insult. "What kind of question is that?"

"The Competition," Ryan answered her. "We were—are the Competition."

The Doctor watched Donna's face as she tried to place them. It was almost comical. "My mum used to play your recodrs."

"Sylvia? I can't imagine her listening to rock n' roll. I picture her more as a _ fan."

"According to her stories, she was very hip. Drove Granddad mad."

"Nothing's changed then."

"Oh, here. This is yours." Donna removed Alan's machine and handed it back to him.

Alan fastened it to his wrist. "Thanks. It felt weird, it not being there."

One of the soldiers came over and saluted Alan. "Everyone's been accounted for, sir. We'll start transporting them."

"Fine. Tell-"

"Gen. Durant, sir."

"Tell the general we'll join him shortly."

"Yes, sir." The soldier saluted and left.

"Why aren't you going with them?" asked Donna.

"They don't need is for anything. Besides, you guys need a lift back to the TARDIS."

"Brilliant! We need to make a stop along the way.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alan walked with the Doctor to the small clinic where Leiman was recovering. He smile when he saw the man conscious and propped up in bed. "You look better than the last time I saw you."

"A little more vertical. With you back here, is it safe to say you got them?"

"Yes, we did. They're in Alliance custody as we speak. The Doctor was very persuasive."

"We wanted to check on you before we left," the Doctor said quickly.

"What of Shadowbrook?"

"Ryan, Shannon and Donna are helping organize everyone," answered the Doctor. "Earlier, Ryan went through to see what needed repair."

"He did?" Alan didn't realize Ryan knew anything about carpentry – he usually got someone else to do it.

"But what of our part in this? We held people against their will."

"You were forced into it for survival," Alan responded. "I won't say that ut will be completely dismissed, but your humane treatment will be taken into account. And the fact that you have a rich bellarium mine, I think that will outweigh the other."

"Speaking of which," the Doctor reached into one of his many pockets and pulled out the mineral sample. "You might want this."

Leiman took the sample reverently. "I remember seeing some when I was young, when the mine was still active. It was never like this."

"This," the Doctor said emphatically, "is high-grade stuff. Near pure."

"I can get you some trustworthy geologists and appraisers to come down and check out the mine to see what kind of deal you can work," said Alan.

"You will want to pounce on the first offer, but hold out until you get something truky beneficial," added the Doctor. "I think with Alan's name connected to this, you won't be cheated."

"I wouldn't say that."

"I know now who you really are," said Leiman. "Your name carries much weight and, knowing you are on our side would keep men honest." His eyes began to droop closed.

"We'll leave you to rest now," said the Doctor as they backed out of the room.

Outside, they walked along the pavement. "Time to head back to the TARDIS?" Alan asked.

"Everything seems to be well here. I normally don't stay for the clean-up."

"I know. You usually take off as soon as you can. You're getting soft in your old age," he teased.

"Oh, you take that back!"

"Can't". Alan kept walking.

"Why not?"

"Because you have gone soft. Now you're acting like a schoolboy tagging along. Where's the 'Oncoming Storm'? Yeah, okay, storms can't continue at the ssame strength or they'll die out, but you, Doctor, are a legend. You can't not be that." _I can't believe I'm giving advice to him!_ "Yeah, people die around you, but think how many more would die if you _weren't_ there. Try and give yourself a time-out, a holiday to recharge before facing the universe again."

The Doctor looked at him as if seriously contemplating doing just that. He then started to laugh and Alan couldn't help but join in.

"Where did all that come from?" questioned the Time Lord, wiping his eyes.

"It sounded good, didn't it?"

"Yeah, it did."

They met up with the others and told them that Leiman was doing much better.

"The Alliance is sending shuttles," Ryan told them.

"Aaron did ask if he was going to see you," Shannon added.

"I guess we have one more stop."

Ryan led the way back to the open fields—the only place with enough room for multiple shuttles—where the former prisoners were gathered. Alan saw Aaron break away from his mother's side and run straight towards him.

"You're back!" the boy shouted.

Alan did the most natural thing, scooping Aaron into his arms. "You didn't think I would be?"

"I did, but some of the others didn't." He looked at Alan with big, round eyes. "You were so brave."

"I knew that my friends would come get me." Alan carried Aaron back to his mother. "When you have people who would do anything for you, you don't need anything else."

"Well said," agreed the Doctor.

"Says the man with friends everywhere," said Ryan.

"You behave and listen to your mom, okay?"

"Yessir!" Aaron saluted.

Alan returned it as did Ryan and Shannon. The Doctor and Donna waved. They then heard the shuttles arriving and knew it was time to leave.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Donna found she didn't want to say goodbye to these people. They were smart, funny, brave, and, she added with a look at Alan, strong. They were, in fact, very much like the Doctor. They had a better sense of humor, though. The Doctor was edging closer to the TARDIS door so she knew a longer stay was out of the question.

"So, what now?" the Doctor asked them.

"We have to give our statements and then wait around for the trial," answered Ryan.

"After that, maybe I'll get a more active posting," commented Alan.

"I'm sure they realize that no matter where they station you, you'll make it active." Shannon smiled.

"I can certainly use that in my argument."

Donna saw that as another example of how Alan was like the Doctor. No matter how hard he tried not to be involved, he always got caught up in something.

"What about you?" Shannon asked the Doctor.

Donna caught the glance the Doctor and Alan shared. _What's up with that?_

"Oh, you know, same old, same old. There are quite a few places I have in mind to show Donna."

"You'd better watch out, Donna," warned Ryan.

Shannon gave her a farewell hug. "You watch out for him, too," she whispered in Donna's ear. "He gets those blinders on and can't see anything else."

"I will." Donna had the feeling that Shannon might have something for the Doctor. _Why when she has someone like Alan around? Speaking of which…_ She grabbed the pilot in a tight embrace. _God, he's gorgeous!_ She finally let go.

"I take it I'm forgiven for our first meeting?"

"Forgiven and forgotten."

The Doctor unlocked and opened the TARDIS door. "Can I offer you a lift?"

The three friends looked at each other. "I think we'll pass, thanks," said Ryan.

"You'd probably take us on a side trip to the Punic Wars," added Shannon. "No, thank you."

"We'll probably get sent there on a mission anyway," said Alan.

"Your choice." With a mock salute, the Doctor stepped inside.

"It was nice meeting you," Donna said from the doorway. "If you're ever in Chiswick, look me up—depending on the time, of course." She waved and stepped inside.

She joined the Doctor at the console. "So, back to the same old, same old?"

"Actually, I was thinking of Shan Shen. They have a street market as big as a city. You will love it." He walked around the console as he spoke, moving from one panel to another.

"If it means shopping, of course I'll love it."

"Good, 'cause that's where we're going!"


End file.
